Love Inspired Suspense December 2013 Bundle: Christmas Cover-UpForce of NatureYuletide JeopardyWilderness Peril

by Lynette Eason

  The crunch of boots filled his ears. Someone cursed when he lost his footing. The scrape against the rocky slope told him when he’d gained traction again. What would the man see when he looked? Would seeing the demolished Jeep at the bottom of a cliff convince their pursuers that Rick and Shay were dead?

  He squeezed his eyes shut, sending up a silent prayer. Images of his quick thinking—their only choice, the jump from the Jeep mere seconds from the moment it plummeted—played through his mind. He’d turned just in time so his body would take the impact as they rolled from the sliding Jeep. They were fortunate there had been thick underbrush to cushion their fall and to hide them afterward. They were fortunate the men hadn’t climbed from their vehicle until it was all over. But was this the moment when their good fortune would run out?

  Shay shifted against him, and he held her tight and still.

  Quiet.

  Admittedly, he was more than uncomfortable, his back partially against a flat boulder where he’d rolled. Branches within the thicket stabbed through his layered clothing to scrape his skin. Salty sweat beaded, despite the dropping temperature as evening approached, and trickled into the open wounds, making them burn.

  Rick steadied his breathing. Hold fast. Just a little longer.

  “Well?” Laced with edginess, a man’s deep voice boomed from somewhere above them. “See anything?”

  A few seconds passed, and they heard another curse—this one under someone’s breath. And that someone was far too close.

  Shay had done well to keep good and still for this long. But her slender form was beginning to tremble, if only a little.

  He ran his hand over her soft hair and leaned in to whisper in her ear. “Just a little longer.”

  She stiffened and held her breath.

  “Answer me.” Again the voice boomed from somewhere above them.

  Rick couldn’t see a thing from where they lay, but that would keep them hidden, as well. An eagle screeched in the distant sky and a chilly gust rustled through the trees. Unbidden images of another time and place flashed through his mind and his heart rate soared.

  A bomb exploded. The explosive gunfire from automatic weapons seared his thoughts.

  Shay squeezed him, bringing him back to the moment. She inched her face up to look at him, the concern in her gaze clear. He could have lost it just then. Given them away.

  All because of one fateful moment in his past. A moment he could never forget.

  He gave a slight shake of his head. It wasn’t as if he could explain that right now, if ever. But he sure didn’t want those images to bother him at this moment when he had to maintain what little control he had over this situation.

  “Nothing,” the man said, his voice ringing mere yards from them. “There’s nothing left. No way could anyone survive that.”

  “You’d better be sure. We can’t let them make it to the claim.”

  “They’re dead, all right? If by some miracle they survived that fall, how would they make their way out? Much less hike all the way to the mine.”

  At the words, Rick’s pulse ratcheted up. The men had planned to kill them to prevent them from reaching the gold-mining claim? But why go to all that trouble? They were only interested in the plane, not the claim. Had they killed Aiden? He reined in the rage, the need to climb the ledge and pound the information out of these men. He was at a distinct disadvantage at the moment.

  He released a sigh, then realized his mistake. Like Shay, he held his breath now. Just a little longer, he told himself.

  He counted the seconds, praying the man hadn’t heard his heavy exhale.

  No way could anyone survive that. The words penetrated his chaotic thoughts—what reason did these men have for pursuing them, for attempting to kill them just to keep them from the camp? If it had anything at all to do with Aiden or even with Rick asking around the village for him, what chance did Aiden have?

  He feared his brother was already dead.

  No, God, please, no…. Rick wouldn’t think that way. He could only hope that Aiden was in hiding, too, and hadn’t had a chance to contact or warn them.

  With Shay in his arms, her weight only a slight burden against him as he cushioned her on the ground, they listened as the man who’d been mere yards above them scraped and climbed his way back up to the road.

  They released a collective sigh this time, and Rick didn’t worry they’d be heard. But they weren’t moving from this spot yet. Not until he knew for sure they were safe. Not until he heard the truck drive away, and even then he wouldn’t leave the protective cover of foliage until he searched the area from their hiding place.

  Conversation resumed above them and truck doors slammed. The rumble of the truck’s engine started. Shay shifted to move from cover, but Rick held her tight. “Wait. We have to be sure,” he whispered. She had to think he was being overly cautious, but she hadn’t been through what he had.

  Didn’t know that things weren’t always as they seemed.

  Shay’s trembling grew. She had to be in shock and was losing control, adrenaline fading as she began to believe the immediate threat was gone. Rick was grateful they’d escaped with their lives and, by all accounts, unscathed.

  Of course, for him this was hardly anything compared to what he’d already been through in his life. Now that the men were gone, he was more worried about another immediate threat—Shay. With her warmth and softness against him, a pang of tenderness shot through his heart, the kind of affection he remained guarded against at all times.

  “Rick,” she whispered. “Rick. You okay?”

  He blinked, staring down at her big eyes looking up at him from where her head was pressed against his chest. He was supposed to be helping her, taking care of her. Protecting her. That was what men did. That was what soldiers did. But was he up to the challenge?

  He wasn’t a soldier now. He was just Rick Savage. Damaged goods.

  The gentle concern in her eyes didn’t help.

  I’m dangerous to you.

  FOUR

  Of all the idiotic questions she could have asked. Of course he wasn’t okay. Neither of them was okay. Someone had just tried to kill them.

  She felt a few bruises springing up on her back and arms but knew that it could have been so much worse. And maybe it was worse than she realized—something in his eyes, the way he looked at her right now, scared her. He was wearing that same wild and distant gaze she’d seen before, as though his mind had dragged him to a place that was anywhere but here and now.

  Shay didn’t like it. Nor did she like that her hands were shaking. Her whole body trembled, and if it weren’t for Rick holding her against him, she’d probably lose control completely.

  Her mind wandered as well, taking her back to the day when she’d last seen that look in his eye—the day when he’d aimed a weapon at her head. She’d startled him taking a nap in the office and she’d found herself looking down the muzzle of a gun. After seeing the darkness that tortured him, she knew she’d been right to keep her resolve not to give in to her attraction to him. She couldn’t fall in love. It was too risky, especially with this man.

  The guy had issues.

  Something bad must have happened to him during his military service. But Rick kept it all hidden inside. Even if she were prepared to fall for someone, she couldn’t handle another man in her life who kept it all inside. Who didn’t open up. Her father had hurt her enough. It wasn’t worth the risk.

  She closed her eyes, remembering how Rick’s hands had gripped her and, in the span of a heartbeat, yanked her from the sliding box of death, his body cushioning her as they fell, branches and bushes breaking their fall.

  Rick had saved her. He’d saved them both. In light of that fact, Shay shoved aside the shadows she’d seen behind his eyes—shadows that had nothing at all to do with their current predicament.

  Their current predicament was enough.

  With his arms wrapped around her, she could almost forget her ache
s and bruises. But she was still dazed from their near miss with death and needed to catch her breath. How did she thank him?

  Was he ready to let her go? She risked another glance at him. The tenderness and concern she saw were too much. Rick had never looked at her that way before. His gaze locked on hers, searching, questioning.

  Creases appeared between his brows, and he brushed a few wisps of her short hair from her forehead. “You’re hurt.”

  Shay ran her hand over her forehead and a sting from the open cut rewarded her. “It’s just a scratch. It couldn’t be very deep or it would bleed all over the place.”

  She couldn’t stand being in his arms anymore, and she worked to free herself from his protective embrace.

  “Let me go, Rick,” she whispered. “They’re gone now.”

  Rick’s eyes widened as if he hadn’t realized he’d been holding her so long. When he loosened his grip, Shay rolled free, feeling a sudden chill replace the warmth of his nearness.

  “Watch it.” He guided her from a thorny bush.

  Shay moved to stand, but Rick stopped her. “Wait,” he said, his voice low. “I need to be sure.”

  He crawled over and slowly peeked through the brush that blocked his vision.

  “What are you looking for?” she asked. “Of course they both got into the truck and drove away. They think we’re dead.”

  Rick stiffened. He didn’t move. Was she wrong? Had someone stayed behind to wait and see if they had survived after all? Her pulse pounded in her neck. Her body ached from the fall, even though Rick had cushioned her from the brunt of it.

  Breathe…. Just breathe….

  Rick took his time before speaking when he turned to face her. “You’re right—”

  Suddenly he was at her side, gripping her arms again. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. I thought…” She’d thought the worst. “You scared me, that’s all. Why are you still looking for them? They’re gone, right? Please tell me they’re gone.”

  Surely he didn’t think they would be back.

  “For now, yes.” Rick stood to his full height and assisted her to her feet, as well.

  Not expecting the incline, she stumbled a little and he steadied her.

  “What do you mean, ‘for now’?” She stepped away. She didn’t need him to smother her. “Rick, why do those men want to keep us from the mining claim? We don’t even care about that. We’re here for the plane.”

  Rick shook his head. “I don’t know. I just know that we need to get out of here. Find a way up to the road and get back to the village. Even if we’re safe from those men, the weather could turn on us, and the night will be cold. In the thirties, at least.”

  He shoved from their hiding place on the small terrace of greenery before the rocky drop. Shay followed cautiously, careful not to step too close to the drop-off where the Jeep had met its final demise.

  Looking up at the edge from where they’d fallen, Shay shook her head in disbelief.

  How…how did we survive that? The trembling started up her legs again. To think they’d rolled from the Jeep and…Rick had taken the brunt of that fall, protecting her more than she could have imagined.

  His back to her now, she took in his broad shoulders and noted a few rips in his sweatshirt, all the way through the shirt underneath. He had to be in pain, yet he hadn’t said a word. Shay took a step toward him and lifted her hand, wanting to touch his back, but she quickly withdrew. Unwilling for him to see her shaking again, she wrapped her arms around herself.

  Rick gazed up the ledge that led back to the road. “I don’t think we can make it back up from here. The top of the ledge is just out of my reach. There’s nothing for me to grab onto, even if I was a rock climber—which I’m not.”

  Neither was she. Shay’s heart sank. “What are we going to do?”

  “We’ll have to find a different way.” He scratched his jaw and turned his attention to the valley below.

  Glad she’d dressed in layers, Shay rubbed her arms, this time from the chill in the air. “Even if we could have made the road, we need our coats, don’t we?”

  “Yeah, and we need our gear. The weather could turn ugly. And if that’s not enough, the guy I paid to rent his Jeep for the day isn’t going to be happy. Come on.” He held his palm open. “We’re getting out of here.”

  When Shay hesitated, he frowned. “What? Don’t you trust me?”

  There was a question she was sure he didn’t want answered. The truth was, she could only trust him so far. “It’s not that,” she hedged.

  Rick withdrew his hand and waited. A stiff breeze wrapped around her.

  “Then what is it? We need to hurry.”

  How did she tell him? She looked at the valley, at the drop where the Jeep had landed. “I don’t know if I can.”

  He shifted his weight, his gaze skimming the gorge and the valley beyond. Understanding dawned on his face. “Sure you can. We’ll make our way around and descend along the slow decline. I’ll be right there with you every step of the way.”

  “Rick, just standing here like this, everything is spinning. If I look around…”

  His forehead crinkled. “You’re not telling me you’re afraid of heights, are you?”

  The words hung in her throat, so she nodded.

  *

  He studied Shay, her cute short crop hugging features that still looked pretty despite the smudges and the scratch from their crash through the underbrush. They’d barely escaped with their lives, so he should be grateful a few scratches was the most she had, but it wasn’t over yet.

  How was it that an airplane mechanic was afraid of heights?

  Now, that was a story he wanted to hear.

  That could also explain much of her stiffness during their travel to Alaska. He’d been a little suspicious, but she’d claimed she just wasn’t happy about having to make the trip. He could relate to that.

  He scratched his chin and flattened the smile that threatened. “I thought you looked a little sick on the flight to Fairbanks. I just figured it was motion sickness.” Rick stepped closer.

  “Well, now you know. I’m afraid of heights. Afraid of flying. Not so uncommon.” Shay’s big purplish-blue eyes stared up at him again. He recalled when she’d done that moments before—looked up at him. He’d held her in his arms then….

  Color rose in her cheeks. Was that from the dipping temperatures or something else?

  His emotional wall flew up—he had to guard himself, keep from feeling anything for this woman. Even if he were free to fall for her, which he wasn’t, this sure wasn’t the time.

  But seeing her like this, this small vulnerability in her tough act, hitched a little place in his heart.

  “Yep. Now I know. But you have to realize that if we’re going to survive this, we need to get moving.”

  Shay shrugged, looking resigned to the situation. But that wasn’t good enough for Rick. He was counting on her to make this work—both their lives depended on it.

  “Listen, I’ve got your back, okay? You don’t need to worry about falling.”

  She didn’t appear reassured.

  “Is there something else? Something you’re not telling me?” What was she hiding? What happened when someone was afraid of heights? Did they pass out? Oh, Lord, please, no. Then again, maybe carrying her dead weight would be faster than assisting her down.

  “Shay.” He kept talking because she wouldn’t respond. “You can do this. You’re strong, and you’re tough. We all have our weaknesses, so this is yours. No big. Just don’t look down.”

  “I’m sorry, I’m still trying to wrap my head around this whole thing.” She took in a deep breath. “You’re right. Let’s do it.”

  Good girl. Rick held his hand out again. “I promise I won’t tell anyone about your…um…condition.”

  The corner of her mouth lifted and she smacked him on the arm.

  “Ow.” He grabbed his arm, pretending it hurt.

  Shay moved by hi
m without taking his hand.

  He grabbed her arm. “There’s a slope here and then some boulders and a drop-off. I think it levels off after a while, but let me help you to get your footing, okay?”

  “Once we’re in the trees and can’t see how high we are, I’ll be good.” Still, Shay placed her hand in his and together they maneuvered the incline, which was a little steeper than he’d anticipated.

  Slipping, Shay yelped.

  Rick held tight, his muscles tensing to keep himself steady on his feet along with Shay. “I’ve got you.”

  When they made it to the boulders, Rick stopped. “Let me climb down first to find the best way.”

  Shay nodded.

  “So how did you end up becoming an aviation mechanic?”

  Asking her a few questions might keep her mind off worrying about what lay ahead. His mind, too. He wasn’t scared of heights, but that didn’t mean he felt at ease. No matter how you looked at things, making their way back to the road would be a difficult task. But Rick couldn’t just sit around and wait for a rescue that might not come for days, if that. No one was expecting them back anytime soon.

  “Do you really want to know?” Shay’s soft voice bounced off the boulders as he made his way down.

  “Yes, I do. And I think it’s okay for you to start down. It’s an easy descent—just watch your footing.”

  His breathing was a little harder than he’d have liked. This shouldn’t be anything like a tough workout—he thought he was in better shape than this. Maybe it was the altitude. He glanced up to see Shay making her way down. Fortunately, the trees were thick here and she shouldn’t see anything to set off her fear of heights. He hoped.

  “My father was a mechanic. I watched him work, helped him and learned from him while I was growing up.”

  Rick already knew that answer, of course. He’d heard the other guys talking about her. But he wanted to hear it from her. Get her talking.

  “And you liked it so much that you decided to follow in his footsteps.” Rick climbed across the flat top of a big boulder, beginning to see that he’d made a mistake.

  “Yep. That’s about it.”